St. Louis Post-Dispatch from St. Louis, Missouri • Page 348

Tropical Plants Grew In Alaska ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH April 23, 1978 ADD A VS MENLO PARK, Calif. (UPI) Alaska wasn't always frozen wastelands and wintry climes, says a U.S. Geological Survey report. About 45 million years ago it grew mangroves, palm trees and other tropical vegetation.

The conclusion, based on detailed studies of fossil plants, suggests not only climatic differences in the two periods, but a difference in how the Earth rotated on its axis, said Dr. Jack A. Wolfe, author of the report. "The Earth's axis of rotation must have been straighter and less inclined toward the Sun if Jhese plants were to get enough sunlight," said Wolfe, a plant geologist at the Geological Survey's research center. Burmese lacquer trees, mangroves, feather and fan palms, and groups that now produce nutmeg and Macassar oil once blossomed in the regions of Alaska, the report said.

The findings were based on a detailed study of the remains of fossil plants found in rocks exposed near the Malaspina, Bering, and Martin River glaciers near the Gulf of Alaska in south-centeral Alaska. "The fossil plants that I have studied could not possibly have grown in Alaska under the present light conditions," Wolfe said. "Even if current temperatures were suitable, the plants would be unable to produce sufficient food under the present winter-light conditions. "These broad-leafed evergreen plants would literally consume themsleves during the winter using up more food than they could produce by photosynthesis with available sunlight. "The only solution is that this part of Alaska must have received more sunlight than it presently does" Wolfe said there were two possible explanations: either Alaska was located much farther south 45 million years ago or more sunlight was reaching the north.

"Recently uncovered geologic evidence does indicate that at least parts of Alaska originated near the equator and later migrated north," Wolfe said. But he added: "This northward migration apparently ended, however, about 20 million years before the time of the plants. When the fossil plants were growing, therefore, Alaska was at least as far north as it is now. "In fact, the plants may have been even farther north than their present latitude, because during the last 45 million years, the Alaskan land mass has apparently rotated southward," Wolfe said. "The only other conclusion left to' explain the apparent sunnier conditions is that the axis of rotation of the Earth was less inclined towards the Sun than it is II 1 I 1 1 I 1 I Mm Survey Suggests Milky Way Life WASHINGTON (UPI) A new star survey suggests that the Milky Way galaxy may have 10 billion stars with planets, some of which may be capable of supporting life.

Dr. Helmut Abt of the Kitt Peak National Observatory, Tucson, said Thursday that his estimate is much higher than earlier ones and "could mean that the number of stars which can have habitable planets is greatly increased." Any planets that may be orbiting distant stars are too small to see from Earth. Gravitational forces of such planets, however, would affect the motions of stars, and observation of such motions can suggest the presence of planets. It was thought that only moderately cool stars such as the Sun could have planets and that higher spin rates of hotter stars would prevent the accumulation of planets. But Abt and his assistant, Saul Levy, recently completed a survey of 42 hot stars in the Milky Way galaxy and found that seven or 16 percent may have planets circling them.

"These results imply that for most types of stars, companions of some sort are present in most or all cases and that these companions may be planets in 10 to 20 percent of the cases," Apt said in a report to the National Science Foundation, which supports the Kitt Peak observatory. I The Milky Way has about 100 million stars. Whale Of A Flight From U.S. To Japan TOKYO (AP) Kianu, the four-ton killer whale from California, is getting used to her new home in Japan's largest animal park, and so far the surroundings seem to suit her. Kianu, which is Eskimo for Big Woman, was flown lasf weekend from Marine World in Redwood City, to World Safari in Shirahama, a hot springs resort 280 miles southwest of Tokyo.

"Kianu will be confined in a pool separate from the one for other whales we already have," said Masaki Sujishi, an official of World Safari. He said officials of the park had given no thought to whether they will try to get a mate for Kianu. World Safari officials said thev paid $227,000 for the whale. The 20-foot-l 1-inch whale was accompanied to Japan by four American veterinarians, a trainer and animal life specialists. Her flight lasted nearly 22 hours.

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